Broken Ties
by clickforkolsdick
Summary: Gossip Girl here. Summer came and went faster than the pull of an ocean's current, but the scandal has only gotten juicier. We have a lot of catching up to do, Upper East Siders. And why don't we start with a name that hasn't shone a light since January when she had a little visit from Carter Baizen...Holland Braxton. It's time to unravel all your secrets on why you went to London.
1. Chapter One

Gossip Girl, here. Summer came and went faster than the pull of an ocean's current, but the scandal has only gotten juicier. We have a lot of catching up to do, Upper East Siders. And why don't we start with a name that hasn't shone a light since January when she had a little visit from Carter Baizen.

**Holland Braxton – **You have been _spotted_. Who knew that with your departure, you would dub down to using British Airlines? Hope they have disinfectant on that plane, but it still won't hide all your dirty little secrets. You couldn't stay away from us for too long, could you Holland? Three years feels like forever in my book and we have a lot of dirt to dig up.

Things have been boiling up since she has been gone. Will things be able to return to normal or will **Chuck Bass**' one-too-many flings send a wall spiraling between the two destined lovers? Will Blair Waldorf cause a drift in this everlasting friendship? Only time will tell.

We all know that time heals all wounds, but not for **Nate Archibald**, who has taken up his time in the Hamptons. Careful **N**, that high only lasts so long until you fall down and that is always much more brutal. Smile, Chuck and Blair are together – and you are desperately, all alone.

**Blair Waldorf** at Charles de Gaulle, homeward bound. What could possibly make Queen B. abandon her two dads before Labor Day? We bet Chuck Bass wants to know.

Everyone has been having a scandalous summer thus far, everyone except **Serena van der Woodsen**, who has been spotted on the beach – alone, only again. Seems like things have been getting really heated with Nate Archibald…or has it?

And what has **Lonely Boy** been up to? Let me rephrase that, no one cares.

It's good to be back, New York. I plan on making this the most memorable year, especially for our graduates. You better lock up all your darkest secrets, hide your scandals, and fasten your seatbelt because this is going to be a bumpy ride.

You know you love me.

XOXO, Gossip Girl.

**1. Return of an Elite**

Nate stared at the notification that was running across the screen of his phone. He was in Chuck's apartment, where they usually were found. Chuck seated on his armchair with a glass of scotch in his hand with his scarf wrapped around his neck. "Did you read the new Gossip Girl blast that was just sent out?"

Chuck raised his eyebrows as if his answer should have been obvious. Awaiting his sarcastic response of _I'm Chuck Bass_ and a wickedly sinister grin plastered on his face. But this was different. He looked almost…discontent, "Holland may be returning."

Nate nodded his head before chuckling softly, "Have you spoken to her since she left?"

Chuck shook his head before sitting up and placing his glass down on the table beside him, "If I were to have spoken to her, do you really believe we would be enduring in this conversation at the moment? She picked up her bags three years ago and disappeared overseas, much to my dismay. Couldn't even have the decency to tell me herself."

Their lives were made to be navigated according to their families.

Chuck Bass was born into one of the richest families on the Upper East Side, with his father owning Bass Industries. He had the typical "bad boy" persona that covered his underlined romantic and sensitive personality.

Whereas, Holly was quite the opposite. She seemed to have everything under control. She had the grades, the looks, and the popularity – but hiding within was an insecure, narcissistic control freak. She has always been propped on a pedestal, bidding the highest of praise. Her parents were Big Time producers, who caught the eye of some of the most popular celebrities – Ryan Gosling, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, etc. They brought success to the city that never sleeps.

Their families worked hand in hand. With celebrities, brought profit to the Bass Industries. Chuck and Holland grew up together, they even shared their first scheme together when they conned movie star – Seth Rogen – into buying a house.

It was always sought out that Holland and Chuck would eventually date, very much like Nathaniel and Blair. Although, Holland was stubborn. She wanted nothing more than to make her own destiny, so they kept their relationship platonic. _Well, minus the few hookups that were led from their drunkenly-driven minds._

They were two sides of a coin. One thriving for power and one running from it.

The annoying buzz from her phone rattled along the edge of the bench. Holland was waiting to board her plane, back to the Upper East Side. She left that place three years ago – she had changed drastically. She was only a child when she left. London opened her eyes. She was going to return a seventeen year old who picked up the pieces of her scattered life.

She pulled her phone out and opened her message, but as soon as she started to read it – she wanted to shove it back into her pocket. There was a picture attachment, her sitting on the bench. She raised her head to try and find the person who tipped Gossip Girl off but it could have been anyone.

_Gossip Girl, here._

_A little birdy let me in on a secret that our long-lost Queen has been spotted boarding a plane back to the Upper East Side. Couldn't stay away from us for too long, could you Holland? _

_Separation anxiety from the Basshole or was Carter Baizen's visit eye-opening? He may have turned his back on his parents three years ago, evidently when you left us watching in the shadows. But he sure has had his eyes set on you. Perhaps, there is a story that we have yet to reveal?_

_You know I love a good scandal and the reason behind your departure is at the top of my list._

_You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl._

She stuffed her phone back into her pocket and pulled her sunglasses over her eyes before shutting them tightly. Gossip Girl had ruined her life – on more than one occasion. There was nothing more relaxing than the time she spent in London, away from that life.

Being a member of one of the Elite families in New York came with a toll. Her social life propped on a pedestal and she was known for her wild side. Parties every single night, a different boy at every entrance and departure. Alcohol and drugs were involved – but she was a changed woman.

Holland Braxton didn't want to be known as the Long Lost Queen of Constance.

She was Holly. A girl who was planning on becoming an actress.

She scrolled through Gossip Girl's recent blasts and _oh how things have changed_. Serena had departed and returned from a Boarding School, flying under the radar. Seems that she wasn't the only heiress to leave the UES. Her return to the Upper East Side seemed to make every headline.

There was a new kid in most of the blasts with Serena – Dan Humphrey, better known as Lonely Boy. He definitely didn't look like one of her normal men. Serena went after the highest bidder – a man with a title. This kid was their age. He was from Brooklyn. His name skyrocketed into the world of the plenty. He even had more posts that Chuck and Nate.

There were some blasts about Chuck and Nate – not so many. Mostly focusing on the breakup of Blair and Nate. The fling of Chuck and Blair and now their full blown relationship. Chuck and Blair. It sounded unnatural, like something that would exist in opposing sides of the galaxy.

But if Blair was happy, I was happy. It was surreal finding what my friends have been up to, but this new mystery boy stole the spot light. Exactly, who is this **Lonely Boy**?

As for her family, her eldest brother seemed to graduate and now working in the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York City. Declan was going to Columbia and rooming with his longtime best friend, no other than Carter Baizen. Her parents were filming a new movie – the middle of the production process. She seemed to forget that even though she was gone, everyone's lives continued to move on.

As she kept scrolling, she came across the pictures from when Carter Baizen visited her in London. The meeting didn't end as well as the pictures made it seem. More along the lines of screaming matches and a shoe being thrown at his head.

Time passed so quickly that before she knew it her flight was being called over the loud speaker. "Flight 84 to New York City," Holland gathered her bags and stood up. It was time for her moment in the _Hot Seat._

* * *

_Author's Note: Hey everyone. I've been rewatching Gossip Girl, so I decided to write a fanfiction. Tell me what you think of the story so far!_


	2. Chapter Two

Extra, Extra! Read all about it.

You can't hide under designer shades for too long, **H. **But nothing says welcome back than a square full of photographers snapping their pictures. And evidently, who gets them? Oh yes, that would come full circle back to me.

Don't pout, Holland.

You can only escape the Upper East Side for so long without all your details of England coming out to play. There has to be a thread teasing to be pulled. But until next time, rush home and hide yourself away. Your "so-called" friends should be pissed in the morning.

You know you love me.

XOXO, Gossip Girl.

**2. Why Did She Come Back?**

Holland stepped into the cool streets of New York City. Summer had come to a close and school was going to be starting back up in a matter of days. The normally humid air was filled with a crisp wind that pushed the bangs from her forehead. Her glasses were kept securely over her eyes.

As she walked down the familiar streets of the Upper East Side, she awaited that text message. Her return. She was sure that it would make a few headlines. Heck, if Serena's did, so could she. It wouldn't take that hard, although Serena gets a title if she breaks a nail.

A few girls walked by her, staring her down and whispering to one another. "Oh my God," The shorter brunette whispered to her friend, "Did we just pass Holland Braxton?"

The blonde turned around and halted in place, pulling her phone out of her purse in an instant. "I've got to send this in to Gossip Girl." And just like that, things were seared into gear.

With the buzz in her pocket, she pulled out her phone and awaited to read what was going to be said about her.

_SPOTTED: Our Irish Queen has stepped foot on her homeland and definitely is ready to mark her territory. Walking down the streets of the Upper East Side with fierce integrity and passion. I wonder if she caught up on all of the sex, lies and scandal that she's missed. I think it's about time we unravel all your little secrets, H._

She rolled her eyes at the end of the message. _Unravel all your little secrets._ Sure, she had secrets to hide – plenty of them. But they were not going to be surfacing. Gossip Girl could pick and scratch all she wanted, but the secrets would not bleed through on her radar.

She took her eyes off of her phone and before she knew it, she was surrounded by Peeping Toms and Stalker Steves. Everywhere she turned, a phone was out and pictures were being snapped. She exhaled a deep breath before continuing her walk home.

"Why did she even come home?"

"Things were so much better when she was gone."

"Did you see those pictures of her and Carter in London?"

"Why did she come back?"

"No one wants you here!"

Words and fragments of sentences were being shouted in her direction and she could barely keep up with any of the conversations. All she knew was she felt unwelcomed. No one wanted her back. She wasn't even sure why she came back herself. Something was calling her. Like she was being drawn back home.

She enjoyed her time in London. She really did. She met wonderful people there, especially actress, Dakota Watts. They became close friends fast. But she went away to film a movie and Holland felt like it was time to face her demons. And by demons, she meant everyone she left behind.

* * *

"Honey," Her dad shouted when he noticed her walking out of the elevator. "Oh my God, Holly," He let out a deep sigh and ran to her side, enveloping her into a tight and warm hug. She missed her family immensely. Words couldn't describe how hard it was to leave them.

Her mother ran into the room like a bolt of lightning as soon as she heard her daughter's name spoken. "Holland," She sighed in relief and ran over towards her. Tears brimming her eyes, causing the rest of the family to shed tears of joy. "I didn't know you were coming home," She inhaled and pulled away to look at her daughter.

Holland had changed dramatically. She left New York as a fourteen year old girl who had no sense of style, messy hair, and a Tinkerbelle backpack. Returned in front of her was a strong woman whose hair was perfectly curled, make-up properly applied, and a Michael Korrs bag placed in her grasp. "I needed a change in scenery," Holland explained with a slight shrug of her shoulder.

Her father chuckled under his breath, "A change in scenery. We've missed you so much, pumpkin."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Her mom questioned and Holly raised her eyebrow. "With everything that has happened in the past, the reason you left, are you sure you want to jump right back into this life?"

She nodded, "I'm sure. I'm a big girl, I can make it through this."

The elevator dinged and she heard a set of footsteps enter her house. She turned around to find a man standing there, with a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of scotch. He looked a lot like Chuck, but it wasn't the Chuck she left behind. She heard the patter of her parents exiting the room and leaving the duo alone. Chuck's jaw dropped when they made eye contact, "I," He swallowed hard. "I had to make sure that the rumors were true."

She let out a harsh breath, trying to reel her thoughts. "They are," She nodded, "I'm home."

He took a step forward, towards the table and placed the flowers and alcohol down and stepped back. "I just wanted to drop these off for you," He motioned his head towards the elevator, "I'm going to go."

He turned his back away from Holland and headed back to the elevator, slamming his finger on the button. Waiting impatiently for the elevator to open so he could disappear out of there. "Chuck," Holland managed to let out and he looked over quickly. "It's good to see you."

He gave her a small smile, "As to you, Holly." And with that Chuck had visited and fled faster than her brain could rack. She felt stupid. _It's good to see you._ That was all she could even imagine to say. His visit was sudden and unexpected. He definitely wasn't expecting her to be standing in the room, directly across from him. He probably imagined she would have a new guy attached to her hip. But here she was, standing in an empty room filled with foolishness.

She pulled out her phone and dialed a number, it rang twice before going to voicemail. Rejected. "You have reached the voice mailbox of…" She awaited the name, "Chuck B-" She hit end on her phone and shoved the phone away. She was not going to sit back and have a pity party on her night back.

Before she knew it, the bottle of scotch that Chuck had left behind was opened and she was already on her third glass. She didn't know what she was expecting when she decided to come back. She didn't want to get her hopes up to be shot down, so she kept an open mind. But seeing Chuck, seeing how drastically things have become between the two of them. She felt lost. She was in a place that felt so distant – even England felt like a better home.

"Holland," A voice spoke behind her and made her want to jump eighteen feet into the air. She whipped her body around, still grasping the bottle in her hand and stumbling forward a bit. "What the hell are you doing?"

She squinted her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things, "Nathaniel!"

In a matter of seconds, she was in his arms, being held up and he put her arm over his shoulder to keep her balanced. "Didn't know there was a welcome home party that I wasn't invited to," He chuckled and walked them over to the couch before placing her down. She sprawled across the cushions and looked up at him, "Why are you drinking alone?"

She shrugged her shoulders before crossing her arms, "Chuck didn't want to see me. He ran away like he saw a ghost," She admitted. Chuck was her best friend. She felt stupid for believing that after all this time, they could just pick up where they left off. "Why didn't he want to see me?"

He patted her knee and she closed her eyes, the warmth of his skin sent shivers up her body. "You left him without any warning – without giving any of us any warning. A lot of things have changed around here and you being thrown back into our world, it's a lot to take in."

"I had to leave without telling you guys," She sighed and leaned up. He pulled her into him and she rested her head on his chest, "But believe me, there wasn't a day that passed that I didn't regret it."

He nodded, "It will just take some time to get used to."

She looked up, locking her emerald eyes on his pools of oceans, "Why did I even come back? No one wants me here, it's all over Gossip Girl. Everyone's saying it. It was in Chuck's eyes. I made a huge mistake coming back."

He placed his hand on her cheek and wiped a tear away with his thumb, "No. You made the right choice by coming back. We've all missed you, Holly. Every last one of us. It was like we were missing a piece of us while you were gone."

"Really?"

"Yes really," He laughed lightly. "You're our best friend, Chuck was probably just in shock. Everything will be okay."

She nodded her head slowly, keeping her eyes on his. "Thank you, Nate," She smiled genuinely and for the first time that entire night, she felt welcomed. She felt at home. Holland sprung forward to kiss him on the cheek, but accidently kissed him on the lips. She pulled away immediately and covered her mouth, "I shoul-I shouldn't have done that. Blair is going to kill me."

He shook his head moving her hand away from her mouth, "Blair and I are broken up." He tilted his head to the side, amused. She locked their vision, before breaking it to look down at his lips that she just touched. "Someone didn't do their research."

Holland stared at him with a mixture of confusion and sadness, "Can I ask why you two broke up?"

Nate shifted on the couch uncomfortably, leaning his body towards Holland's direction. "Last year, Serena and I-" Holland cut him off, "Had sex. I know. I saw it," He gave her an odd look, "I was with Chuck."

He cleared his throat, "Well yeah. Anyway, her and Chuck started to have this fling and things got crazy, but I guess it's better now. They are happy in a relationship with each other and I'm moving forward."

Holland realized that he still had her hand in his grasp so she squeezed it lightly, "Well Blair is crazy for letting you go. You know that right?"

There kept an intense stare in each other's direction. This was exactly what they both needed to hear. They needed the moral support. Holland licked her lips and swallowed. Nate leaned forward erratically and pressed his lips against Holland's, cupping her cheek in his hand. She didn't hesitate and kissed him back immediately, placing her hand behind his neck and pulling him close. "I'm glad you're home," He whispered in between kisses, "I've missed you."

She pulled away and looked up into his blue eyes. She licked her lips and trailed her hand up his chest, "Well it seems like we have a lot of catching up to do, now that you're single."

He grinned, teeth scratching against her cheek then moving down to her neck. His hand rested on her bare thigh then started to travel upwards slowly, he muttered heavily in her ear, "Just tell me when to stop." She pulled him back to her by his shirt collar before reaching down and unbuttoning his pants. She leaned back up and caught his lips with her own, sealing their fate of this night. "Perhaps we should move this upstairs," Her eyes flicked towards the staircase.


	3. Chapter Three

_Author's Note:_

_Hey everyone. I know it's been forever, but I've been busy with school and work. But here is the next chapter._

_Please please please leave your thoughts and I hope you enjoy! :)_

* * *

Good Morning, Upper East Siders. Yesterday we caught the shark in the water with the return of one of our Elite. Now I think it's time to dig up one of her secrets. What is hiding behind those emerald green eyes, **H**?

**Nate **hasn't been spotted in over sixteen hours. Tsk, tsk, you can't hide from us for that long, **N**.

We came across another familiar face, but we'll just leave that for another time to tell.

Enjoy your last day of summer because tomorrow, we're turning in those bikinis for plaid skirts and headbands. **Queen B** is itching to get back on her throne, but she may have a little competition with the three queens back in Constance. Look out, B, you wouldn't want to be dethroned…again.

You know you love me.

XOXO, Gossip Girl.

**3. An Unwanted Encounter**

Holland woke up in the crack of dawn, the sun was rising and shining into her window, cascading a ray of light over her eyes. She felt two arms wrapped around her torso and a chin nuzzled against her neck. Stubble scraping her skin and sent a tingling sensation down her body. She turned her head slightly to find the pair of blue eyes open and watching her, "Nathaniel."

He kissed behind her ear and she exhaled a deep breath, "Good morning."

She pulled away quickly and sat up pulling the sheets with her, keeping her body covered. "That was-last night, it shouldn't have happened," She rambled but Nate leaned over and shut her up with another kiss. She kneeled back on the bed and kept her mouth quiet once he pulled away, "We shouldn't have."

"But we did," Nate explained and grabbed her hand in his own, playing with her fingers. "Please don't leave, I don't want to be alone." Holland swallowed hard and opened her mouth to neglect, but he cut her off once again. "Stay with me. Please."

She nodded her head and joined his side, laying her head against his chest and he ran his fingers through her strawberry blonde hair. "But we both know that this can never happen again," She glanced her eyes towards him. "It was a one-time thing."

He nodded his head pressing his lips to the top of her head, brushing the skin right under her hairline. "A one-time thing." She glanced at his lips, they were parted slightly, wet and red from being nipped and tugged at all night long. She never looked at Nate as more than a friend before. That's all they ever were. Friends. But something sparked between them last night – whether it was hidden chemistry or both were having an extremely crappy day – it felt right.

She leaned forward and kissed him one last time, letting her lips linger against his for a few moments than necessary. This time, it was gentle and thankful. Because that was what she was feeling – thankful for him being there last night. Being able to understand where she was coming from. Not thinking she was being irrational or in too deep over her head. He understood. When she pulled away, Nate just stared at her with a blank gaze. "Thank you, Nate," She whispered barely audible, "Thank you for being here last night."

There was a rattling coming from the door and a jiggling of the handle, but thankfully in the midst of their drunken stroll – they managed to lock the door. A pounding at the wooden frame followed once the door wouldn't budge, "Holland Avery. I know you are in there," Blair's voice shook the entire room into action. "I saw your pictures all over Gossip Girl, thanks for announcing your return to, I don't know, your so-called friends."

Holland swooped onto the ground and pulled a T-shirt over her head before picking up Nate's clothes and throwing them towards him. Frantically with wide eyes and a terrified expression, he finally jumped into gear and pulled the clothes on. "Blair," Holland heard her mom speak outside and she let out a calm breath, relaxing a bit. "Holland has had a rough and long day yesterday, she's probably still asleep. Do you want me to tell her you stopped by?"

Holly turned around and Nate was fully dressed in yesterday's attire, shoes and all. "Oh, she knows I was here. She's probably sitting in there right now, proud of her little victory. She'll call me later, isn't that correct, Holland?"

Nate raised an eyebrow and Holly put her finger to her lips, making sure he stays completely quiet. She heard the elevator button ding and the sliding doors close and Holland let out a sigh of relief, "That was a close one."

He rubbed the back of his neck, "No one can know about this. Not even Chuck."

Holland crossed her arms, "Yeah like I'm just going to blurt out, oh yeah, by the way I had sex with your best friend last night." She waved her hands into the air before re-crossing her arms, "I'm not going to let a word of this spill."

Holland's phone began to ring and she picked it up as Blair's name flashed on her caller ID. She rolled her eyes. She forgot how tenacious Blair could be. She cleared her throat, "It's Blair. So quiet," She pointed her finger in Nate's direction and he nodded before throwing himself back on her bed. She took a deep breath before pulling the phone up to her ear, "Blair. It's good to hear from you!"

"Don't partake me as a fool, Holland. I know you heard me earlier, you can barely sleep through a thunderstorm, nonetheless my irritating knocking." Blair had a point there. She knew that Holland was dodging her, but could you blame her? Things haven't exactly...been normal.

Holland paced around the room, "You're right. You're always right, B. Now was there something you needed?"

Blair sat down on the edge of her bed and Marcus walked into the room, "Nothing too big. I was just passing on the message that I am throwing a back to school party tonight and I wanted you to come. It would be nice to get all of us back together. You've missed quite a lot in your absence, you should be formally caught up on all recent scandals."

Holland joined Nate on the bed, sitting on top of her foot, "Of course. You can count me in, would you like me to bring anything?"

"No," Blair chimed. "Just you and that should be perfect. I shall see you tonight, Holly."

Holland nodded, "Goodbye, Blair." She hung up the phone and sighed, "There's a party tonight at Blair's?" Nate folded his hands behind his head, "I shouldn't be surprised. Blair always liked to get us all back together before school. But won't this year be different? You two aren't together, her and Chuck aren't together anymore. There's this new guy named Dan. I'm back."

Nate leaned up so he was sitting straight, "It will definitely be different. But I think that's exactly what we could use right about now. I change of scenery on things."

Her mom knocked on her door, "Holland. Wake up, I'm going to make breakfast."

"I'll be right out, mom."

Holland stood up and decided to get dressed for the day. She pulled out a winter green dress and pulled it on with a pair of black heels that matched her necklace. She curled her hair and applied a bit of make-up before walking out of the room with Nate following behind. They walked down stairs and into the kitchen and her mom looked up, "Nathaniel. I wasn't aware that you were here. I'll add an extra plate to the table."

Nate gave her a warm smile, "Thank you, Mrs. Braxton."

"Hol," A man spoke from behind her and she whipped her head around to find her eldest brother standing in the doorway. "I didn't know you were coming home," He engulfed her into a tight hug and looked over at Nate. He grinned, "Good to see you, man."

Once Gus let go of Holland, he stuck out his hand for Nate. "You too, Augustus."

"Where is my Halle Berry?" Another voice ran into the room and picked Holland up and spun her around. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him closely, "Declan!"

He placed her down on the ground, "It's good to see you, little sis."

She looked back and forth between her two brothers. They were a family made from completely different worlds. They all had the same father, but different mothers. Their dad grew up young and had his first child when he was barely an adult.

Their dad and his high school girlfriend, Anna Hill, got pregnant when he was a senior in high school. Augustus was born when their dad was a freshman in college, he ended up taking the next year off to help raise his son. He and Anna got married, but it failed shortly after. They were only married for two years before they agreed on getting a divorce. Although, they still remain good friends, their romance died down. They were young and naïve, only being nineteen and seventeen years old. Anna remarried to a man named Christian Collins. Augustus took after both parents, blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. He was tall and built well. He became a FBI Agent.

Her father's second marriage was to Daniella Merci, a French Journalist that he met when he was twenty-two. After a year of dating, she ended up getting pregnant and they had Declan. Declan took after his mother the most. Light brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. He was still taller, very tall. Reaching 6'4". Her father and Daniella got divorced when she moved back to France. Declan visits his mother every few months, but doesn't see her as much as he wish he could.

Holland took almost every single feature that she had after her mother, although a few of her father's traits were mixed in. She took after both of their red hair, although her father's was a mixture of blonde and red. She has piercing, emerald green eyes that she took after her grandmother. She was short, which she also got from her mother. They met in school years ago, when he was still married to Anna. They were best friends, Sebastian Braxton and Michelle O'Brien. You would rarely catch them without the other attached to the side. They graduated together in 1990 and decided to begin to date. This has been his longest and happiest relationship.

Her mother finished flipping the pancakes and the room was filled with cheer and laughter. Declan was telling Holland about how he was doing in college, he got a scholarship for soccer. She missed his graduation because she left a few months before school ended. Gus was explaining what it was like to be an FBI Agent. She missed his graduation as well. She missed a lot of things in her absence.

"Carter, what a lovely surprise for you to join us," Holland heard her mom say and her entire body tensed. Declan ran over to Carter and slammed his palm against his shoulder and shook him strongly. "I'll get you a plate ready."

He grinned at her, "Thank you, Michelle." _Since when did he start calling her Michelle? _His presence irritated her. The fact that he hadn't even taken notice to **her** presence irritated her. How he walked straight into her house without a care in the world irritated her. He glanced across the room and his eyes landed on Holland. His mouth parted as though he was about to say something, but before any words could come out, Declan was dragging him into the dining room.

She wanted to disappear out of her own house. She didn't know what bothered her so much. That he was going to say something to her or that he was rudely interrupted. Screw that, she didn't care what he had to say. He was lucky that she didn't take her heel off right then and there and chuck it at his head.

Nate kept staring at his phone, "What's wrong?"

His eyes shot up and realized that Holland was staring at him, staring at his phone. Staring at the text from Catherine about the money. Staring at the two missed calls from Vanessa, who he blew off again last night – to sleep with one of his best friends. He didn't deserve someone like Vanessa.

"Earth to Nathaniel Archibald," She waved her hand in front of his face and he snapped back to reality. "What's wrong?" He shook his head, disregarding her question so Holland snatched his phone out of his hands. She read over the text message, "If you want the money. You know what I want. Meet me tonight at 7 p.m." Holland's eyes grew wide, "Who the hell is Catherine and what does she want? Why do you need money?"

He took the phone out of her hands and rolled his eyes, "It's nothing. None of your business."

He turned to walk away but she grabbed his arm, "Nate. I'm sorry for intruding on your privacy, but I'm worried. Who is Catherine? What is happening?" He didn't make eye contact with her. "Are you sleeping with her for money?"

He looked at her briefly before looking away and Holland's jaw dropped wide. She let go of Nate's arm and felt disgusted. Disgusted in him. Disgusted in herself for sleeping with him last night. She took a step backwards but Nate spoke up, "You don't understand. I don't have a choice."

She laughed, "You don't have a choice? You are selling sex for money, Nate. How isn't that a choice that you made?"

"My family's bank accounts have been frozen. We are basically broke right now. My dad skipped town when he was supposed to be arrested for fraud. My mom helped him get away. We need the money for bills, for our house. There's no other way." Nate ran his hand through his hair and Holland stared at him blankly.

She was completely wrong. Nothing about the Upper East Side is the same. All of her friends have their own problems that she knows nothing about. All of the relationships that she is so prone to, have casually vanished in thin air. Everything was different.

She bit her bottom lip, "How much money do you need? I'll help you."

He shook his head, "No. I am not bringing you into this. You have to stay out. If Catherine finds out that you know, she'll cut me off. She knows where my dad is hiding. I'm stupid and I let it slip. She can turn him in if I make one wrong move."

Holland swallowed hard, "Nate. You shouldn't have to go through with this. You shouldn't have to feel so alone that you have to prostitute yourself to get your family the money you need. You're seventeen years old, she is having sexual relations with a minor. You are aware that she could go to jail for this."

He blew out a breath through his nose, "If she gets arrested, she'll tell them where my dad is. I can't let that happen. Promise me, you will keep this between the two of us." Holland stared up at him and bit her bottom lip, "Promise me."

She swallowed hard, "I promise."

Carter walked over into the kitchen, darting his eyes towards the duo. Holland looked away as quickly as possible and stared down at the ground. He cleared his throat and opened the fridge pulling out the orange juice. Holland turned around abruptly, "Why are you here?"

He looked up from his glass that he was pouring and placed the bottle back on the counter, tightening the lid. "I could ask you the same question, Holly."

Her jaw hardened and she sent a glare in his direction, "You do not have the privilege of calling me that. Only my friends can use that nickname," She looked over at Nate who was confused by the hostility of this interaction. "And last time I checked, we are _never_ going to be friends."

He nodded his head in amusement, "We can't forget about the past forever, H."

She walked past him out of the kitchen, squaring her shoulders in the process, "I can try."

Nate chased out of the kitchen after her, pulling her aside in the living room. He arched an eyebrow and she avoided his gaze innocently, "Do you want to explain what the hell happened in there between you and Carter?" She shook her head, "What happened between you two that caused this much hate and tension. First those blasts when he visited in England and now this."

She pushed a piece of hair behind her ear, "We have a long past and he just knows how to press all of the right buttons. He just loves making my life miserable."

He chuckled, "Seems like he's not the only one." He glanced over at Carter who was sitting at the table absent-mindedly staring at his glass of orange juice, drowning out the outside world. He wanted to fix this. He needed to fix this.


End file.
